Phoenix, AZ – FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG), the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports media assets, has entered into a 12-year agreement with the Pac-12 Conference covering broadcast, national and local cable and digital asset rights beginning in 2012. The announcement was made by FSMG Co-Presidents and COOs Randy Freer and Eric Shanks. While financial terms were not disclosed, today’s announcement heralds the first-ever regular-season over-the-air college sports package for FOX Sports.

In today’s announcement, FSMG secures the rights to 22 regular-season Pac-12 football games annually; six Pac-12 Football Championship Games in even years beginning in 2012 through 2022 in prime time; 22 men’s regular-season basketball games annually; three men’s basketball Tournament games, including the championship game, in even years beginning in 2014 through 2024. A minimum of eight regular-season football games will be broadcast over-the-air by FOX Sports, at least four in prime time. The remaining 14 games will be carried by FX, FOX’s fully-distributed general entertainment basic cable network, available in 99 million homes.

“Today’s announcement with the Pac-12 reaffirms FOX Sports Media Group’s long-term commitment to college sports programming,” said Freer. “It also provides the first-ever slate of over-the-air, regular season college football games for FOX Sports and allows us to close the season in grand fashion with the Pac-12 and Big Ten championship games and the Cotton Bowl. Our college sports programming partners now include the Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, SEC, and ACC, and our leadership is clearly established in this space.”

"I am delighted that we will be deepening and strengthening our successful and productive relationship with FOX Sports,” added Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott. “We are well aligned around a pioneering spirit of innovation and collaboration. This is an exciting day that will provide greatly expanded national exposure for our student-athletes and for our fans around the country and the world.”

In addition to the 22 Pac-12 men’s basketball games headed to FOX Sports’ regional sports networks where they will air nationally, FOX Sports (over-the-air) and/or FX will carry one quarterfinal, one semifinal and the men’s basketball championship game every other year beginning in 2014 through 2024.

FOX Sports and the Pac-12’s other television outlets share pre-determined football and men’s basketball selection rights.

FOX Sports also has the rights to sell a presenting broadcast sponsorship to the Pac-12 Football Championship and Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship games that it broadcasts.

In the last 17 months, FSMG has procured multi-platform media rights associated with four major collegiate conferences: Big Ten; Big 12; Conference USA; and Pac-12, and announced that FX would carry a college football schedule beginning this year:

- November, 2010 - FOX became the official broadcast partner of the Big Ten Football Championship Game from 2011-16. The inaugural game will be played on Dec. 3, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (http://tinyurl.com/3aufoy7)

- January, 2011 - FOX Sports and the Pac-10 Conference reached a one-year agreement for FOX to broadcast the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game in 2011. In the new Pac-12 agreement, FOX Sports broadcasts six Pac-12 Conference Football Championship Games in even years beginning in 2012 through 2022. (http://bit.ly/m2Pbqx)

- January, 2011 – FSMG reached a multi-year agreement for national television rights with Conference USA for a variety of events, including football, basketball and Olympic sports. (http://tinyurl.com/3rgmc73)

- March, 2011 - FX announced it would carry a college football game-of-the-week produced by FOX Sports, beginning this season. Schedule features a minimum 13-game schedule featuring premiere conference and non-conference match-ups from the Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA. (http://tinyurl.com/43frh4k)

- April, 2011 – FSMG and the Big 12 Conference reached a 13-year agreement for exclusive cable rights to 40 football games per season, as well as a variety of Olympic sports events and Conference championships beginning in 2012. The agreement nearly doubles the number of Big 12 football games available under the current rights agreement. (http://tinyurl.com/3o8lm57)

FOX Sports Media Group now boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of college product in the country, with nearly 2000 marquee events showcased through national and regional platforms, including FOX Sports, FSN, Big Ten Network and FOX College Sports, plus FX. FSMG’s impressive roster of other conference partners includes the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, Pac-12 and SEC.

About FOX Sports Media Group

FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports media assets. Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FSN, which reaches over 85 million homes through more than two dozen owned and affiliated regional sports networks; FSN’s affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer Channel and FOX Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and FOX College Sports. In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises www.FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching over 27 million unique visitors monthly. Also included are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.

About the Pac-12 Conference

The Conference maintains a tradition as the “Conference of Champions,” earning more than 175 NCAA team titles over the past 20 years, and has led the nation in NCAA Championships in 44 of the last 50 years. The Conference comprises 10 leading U.S. universities: The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Washington, and Washington State University. In July, the Conference officially becomes the Pac-12 Conference with the addition of the University of Utah (2011) and the University of Colorado (2012). Conference offices are located 25 miles east of San Francisco in Walnut Creek, CA. For more information on the Conference’s programs, member institutions, and Commissioner Larry Scott, go to www.pac-10.org.